Horse-blanket.



PATBNTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. H. MEYBRS.

HORSE BLANKET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1906.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST H. MEYERS, OELEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF' ONE-HALF TO SHELBY T. HARBISON, ASA'H. JEW ELL, AND JACOB W. PATTERSON,

OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

HORSE-BLANKET.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Applicatitn filed J1me 27,1905. Serial No. 267,232.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST H. MEYERS, a citizen of the United States, residin at Lexington, in the countyofFayette an State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Blankets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, andjexact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in horse-blankets, and has for its object to provide a blanket which shall avoid the constant chafing and rubbing of the hair or coat from the animals breast, which usually results from the fastenings employed to hold the blanket in position.

numerals to the accompanying drawings, in

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved blankets secured in position upon a horse. Fig. 2 is a plan outside view of the blanket in an open or spread-out condition, and Fig. 3 is a front view showing the overlapping and reversible breast portions secured in position.

Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 is the body of the blanket, which is preferablymade of duplicate parts out and seamed at the upper edges to secure the proper cur-' vature to fit the back-lines of the animal. The front ends of the duplicate parts 1 are cutto form. the reverse angles or slightlycurved lines 2 2, each terminating in the cir- "cular form 3 3 in order that when the blanket is in position upon the animal and the front extension or flap portions 4 4 are overlapped and secured in such position the lines or edge 2 2 and 3 3 will be adapted to the neckand 1 and3.

securely edges of the blanket free, and the opposite breast of the animal, as clearly shown in Figs.

To each ofthe side body portions 1 are secured by suitable stitching strengtheningstays 5, occupying a longitudinal or horizontal position and with their rear terminals at a point approximately slightly in advance of the hip-line. The front ends of these stays 5 are curved to conform to the curvature 3 of the front or flap portions 4 of the blanket, as clearly shown at Figs. 2 and 3, and are each provided at their front terminals with straps 6 ,suitably punched and adapted to be secured to buckles 7 or similar fastening devices on the combined breast and dia onal' shoulder stays 8. These stays 8 are a so stitched to the duplicate parts of the blanket in the position best shown at Fig. 2 and beginning at the upper end at a point back of the shoulder-line and traveling in an oblique vertical direction,

asshown, and finally curved concentrically with the curved edges 3 of the flap portions of the two duplicate arts of the blanket and lying underneath the front terminals of the longitudinal stays 5, as best shown at Fig. 2. Each of these stays is provided with a buckle or other fastening device 7, heretofore referred to, which isso located that when the front end flaps 4 of the blanket are overlapped, as shown best in Fig. 3, the fastening-straps 6 may be readily secured thereto so as to hold both of said flaps in fixed and properrelation, and thus affording a double protection to the breast of the animal. This is accomplished by assing the strap 6 of the outside flap direclify through the buckle 7, as shown in Fig. 7, and passing the other strap 6 on the underflap throu h the slot 7 adjacent to the other bucl e 7, and when the flaps are re versely arranged the straps 6 are accordingly reversed, and in either case the two flaps are held in the relation clearly indicated'in Fig. 3.

9 and 10 are two surcingles crossing the breast and diagonal stays 8 and stitched to the blanket in diverging relation to each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stitching terminating at the longitudinal stays 5, under which the. diverging surcingl'es are located. The stitching referred to terminating at the locality stated leaves the lower I o 5 ends of the surcingles being provided, respectively, with buckles 11 and straps 12 the lower edges of the blanket may be fastened close to the belly of the animal in an obvious manner. The diverging directions given to the surcingles 9 and 10 are such that when they are properly fastened they will occupy positions on opposite sides of the medial line of the belly of the animal, and thus secure the blanket against longitudinal displacement.

It will be seen from the construction shown and described that not only is all the strain removed from the breast of the animal, thus overcoming one of the greatest damages done to an animal when blanketed for the market or show-ring, but a neat and comfortable appearance is obtained. This advantage is secured as a result of removing the fastening devices from that part of the blanket which covers the breast of the animal and locating them on that part of the blanket which covers the cavity or hollow formed at the juncture of the shoulders and neck of the animal. These fastenings thus become side or shoulder fastenings and are antichafing, while at the same time the flaps or double-breasted portions of the blanket may be readily reversed when desired.

The combined breast and diagonal shoul der stays 8, by reason of their peculiar location and arrangement and their relation to the rear surcingle 10, serve to take up the strain upon the blanket as close as possible to the point of the hips of the animal, thus relieving the neck and withers from all strain and chafing effects. In addition to the sev? eral advantages recited the rear or rump portion of the blanket is entirely free to adapt itself to varying conditions resulting from the movements of the animal and is therefore 40, not subjected to wearing strains of any kind.

The blanket as a whole is economic of construction, readily secured in place and removed, and when in position it gives a neat and well-fitting appearance, with ease and comfort to the animal.

I of course do not wish to be confined to any extent as to the character of the material and longitudinal and diagonal and breast stays and the diverging surcingles located with relation to one another, as hereinbefore fully explained.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A horse-blanket formed with reversible breast-flaps conforming to the neck of an animal and having breast-stays stitched eoncentrically with the neck curve of the flaps and extending in an upward and diagonal direction, their point of juncture terminating in rear of the shoulder-line, in con'ibination with fastening devices located at a locality coincident with the cavity formed at the juncture between the shoulders and neck of the animal, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. In ahorse-blanket such as described and provided with the curved reversible breastflaps, and diagonal breast and shoulder stays, longitudinal stays stitched to the blanket with their front terminals concentric with the curved neck portion of the reversible flaps, and terminating at their rear ends at a locality approximate to the hip-line, and provided at their front terminal ends with means for connection with the diagonal breast and shoulder stays, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a horse-blanket such as described and formed with curved reversible breastflaps, two surcingles stitched to the blanket and each diverging from the other from the backseam; a horizontal stay stitched to each side of the blanket and extending around the curved edge of each breast-flap; diagonal stays extending from the back-seam at the point of uncture with the rear surcingle and intersecting the forward surcingle and extending around the curved upper edge of the breast-flap and provided with a fastening device; and straps at the upper front edge of the flaps, adapted to interlock with. the fastening devices of the diagonal stays, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST H. MEYERS.

Witnesses:

E. Wrrrrson, F. L. DAVENPORT. 

